If you are like me, photo images have become a way of life. We now add them to blog posts, our Facebook pages and other social media posts, and of course Pinterest. It is always better to use a unique image rather than something everyone else is posting. It’s so easy to take an image, add a few words, save it with a unique name and voila, you have a unique image. The sites I tend to visit often are indicated with a (Takara) in their description.

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But where to get the images online?

Obviously, for a blog post or Facebook update, we don’t want to pay for photos and images. But we do want to make sure we are not breaking any copyright rules. Images that you use online for your business need to be free to use for commercial purposes. Otherwise, they are copyrighted and using them is actually breaking the law.

Over the years of hunting images, I’ve come up with several websites that I go to again and again. I’ve provided the list for you here. Before using an image, even if it is from one of these sites, be sure to read the fine print to make sure the image can be used for the purpose you are intending.

Also, many of these websites earn money by offering ads for paid images. So you have to pay attention to where on the site you are clicking. Otherwise you end up on iStockPhoto or another paid site. They have lovely images and I do use them on occasion. But that is more for advertising or book covers, not an image I use for an article or blog post.

Free Photos / Royalty Free Images

Most are free and OK to use for commercial use. Be sure to check the licensing agreement. A few have fees.

NASA – http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/index.html –http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/clickmap/ – NASA – Do I need special permission to use astronaut photographs or to publish them? NASA asserts no copyright over these photographs, but requests that it be credited as the source of the information. We recommend that the caption for any photograph published include the unique photo number (Mission-Roll-Frame), so that others can locate or obtain copies when needed. (Example just showed under the photo a caption that said NASA photo with a number behind it.)

National Institute of Health – http://www.nih.gov/about/nihphotos.htm – NIH National Institute of Health/Department of Health and Human services – NIH Copyright Notification. NIH images may not be used to state or imply the endorsement by NIH or by an NIH employee of a commercial product, service, or activity, or use in any other manner that might mislead. No fee is charged to using the images. However, credit MUST be given to the National Institutes of Health/Department of Health and Human Services unless otherwise instructed to give credit to the photographer or other source. NIH images are in the public domain and CANNOT be copyrighted. Images may be used, linked, or reproduced without further permission from NIH.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/index.html – NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce – Restrictions for Using NOAA Images. Most NOAA photos and slides are in the public domain and CANNOT be copyrighted. There is no fee for downloading any images on the NOAA Photo Library. Educational use is encouraged as the primary goal of the NOAA Photo Library is to help all understand our oceans and atmosphere so as to be better stewards of our environment for future generations. A few photos in the NOAA Photo Library that are known to have copyright restrictions are so noted in the caption information associated with those images. Credit MUST be given to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce. Where a photographer is noted, please credit the photographer and his/her affiliated organization as well. Downloading Images. If you wish to download an image, click below the image caption on High Resolution Photo. This will download a high resolution “jpg” image that can be saved by right clicking your mouse for printing or manipulation within a graphics software program.

National Park Service – http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/imagebase.html – National Park Service. Releases. All photographs and images in this archive are “public domain” images. You are free to use these images without a release from the National Park Service. However, the photographs and images must not be used to imply National Park Service endorsement of a product, service, organization or individual. Photo Credits. Credit photographs to the National Park Service.

Additional choices I’ve heard about but not used:

Bible Places – http://bibleplaces.com/ – You may not use more than 10 images, the size of the images must be not more than 400 pixels wide, and the images must include a credit link on each page they are used to BiblePlaces.com

Paid Photos / Images

iStockPhoto – where I typically purchase images for more important projects – http://www.istockphoto.com – $1.60ish – unless they are Vetta images, which are much more.

I keep expanding this list – so come back to visit whenever you need images!

D. Takara Shelor is a bestselling author, award-winning speaker, engineer, and consultant helping individuals and organizations discover their true magnificence so they can thrive in business and in life. She acts as a catalyst and facilitator of radical positive change providing tools, training, and support to people who are tired of feeling suck and are ready to catapult themselves into high gear both personally and professionally. She says, "Life is a magnificent adventure ... remember to enjoy the ride!" Get her free 7 Secrets to Dancing Through Life EmPOWERed, EnRICHed, and Living in Joy ebook to join her email list by visiting her gift page Enjoy Takara's Magnificent U Bestselling Author Blog: Magnificent U

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D. Takara Shelor – Bestselling Author

Takara is a two-time bestselling author, award-winning speaker, engineer, and mystic. A polymath with extraordinary intuition, she helps people not only rise in consciousness and awareness, heal from the trauma drama of their past, and step boldly into their true magnificence, but also to thrive in business and in life. Her email newsletter, Here's to Your Magnificence, is enjoyed by thousands of readers from across the globe. Let her unique insights and Divine revelations help you to bring clarity, passion, purpose, joy and healing into your own life.